Chapter 11
Sookie stared at me with wide eyes, her cheeks burning red.
"Miss Stackhouse," Godric said reasonably, as he gave my hand a brief squeeze. "We have many humans for you to read later on, however, Turid is not one of them. You are not to read her mind, understood?"
Sookie gave a quick nod, and that seemed to be that. But just as Godric continued explaining the situation, I felt another brush across my mind.
Before, I'd been more startled than anything else. Now, I was getting pissed.
"She just did it again," I hissed, pointing an accusing finger at Sookie, who shrank back against the couch, Bill going rigid beside her.
"Miss Stackhouse," Godric said, still sounding reasonable, but I could tell from the tightness of the corner of his mouth that he was becoming angry. Godric didn't like people ignoring his orders. Eric could tell, too. He leaned back in his chair, clasped his hands behind his head, and seemed ready to enjoy the show. "Were my orders just now not clear enough?" Godric asked, his stare pinning Sookie in her place.
"I'm so sorry," Sookie said with a nervous twitch of her lips. "Sometimes I just don't know I'm doing it."
I snorted. "How can you not know you're doing magic?"
"Magic?" Sookie squeaked. "I don't do magic. I just have a disability, and sometimes it's hard to control."
I stared at her. As did everyone else in the room.
"I mean, I don't know if magic's real," Sookie continued, now in full-blown babbling mode. "Maybe it's real, I don't know. If vampires are real, magic could be real, too, for all I know, but I'm not doing it, no sirree."
I opened and closed my mouth for a few times. "Of course you're doing magic," I finally said, when no one else spoke. "Telepathy is magic, whether you learn it or you're born with it. What the hell else would it be?"
Glancing around the room, I hoped someone else would help me explain this, but it was a fool's hope. Bill still sat rigid, looking as though he'd rather be eating glass, Godric was studying Sookie with a tilt of his head, as though he'd just discovered a new species of rare arboreal frog, and Eric was smirking, obviously enjoying this turn of events.
"Oh, for goodness' sake," I said, feeling very close to exploding. "You're a telepath, and you're with a vampire. How can you not know about magic?"
Sookie swallowed. "I've only been dating Bill for three weeks now."
I glared at Bill, and he glared right back. If looks could kill, I might have been a bit deader at that point. "You're keeping this human, and you're dragging her to supernatural gatherings, and yet you haven't explained a thing to her?" I asked, exasperated.
"We are not here by choice," Bill snarled, and I felt Godric stiffen beside me.
"You might want to explain that, Mr Compton," Godric said, his voice becoming downright frigid. "Because I am paying your human a generous amount for her services, and I was under the impression I had entered into a business agreement with her."
"No, no, it's okay," Sookie said, waving her hands helplessly. "You're right Mr...Godric. I'm just here to do the job you're paying me for."
Bill, in the meantime, was exchanging a look with Eric, and it wasn't a friendly look. Bill's face pinched tighter, and Eric's smirk grew wider. I'm not sure what the conclusion was of this stare-off, or if there was a conclusion at all, but at some point Bill turned to look at Godric and slightly inclined his head.
"Forgive me," he said, though he did not sound at all sincere. "You're right. Sookie is here to do a job for you."
"I am glad to hear that," Godric said, relaxing against me just a bit. "However, your human still hasn't answered the question. How come she is a telepath with a vampire companion who knows nothing of the supernatural world? And why have you not bothered explaining a few things to her?"
"Well, like Sookie said, we've only been together for a short while," Bill said, sounding a lot smoother now. Sookie nodded along with him, obviously wanting the conflict to end. "There hasn't been time yet to explain everything to her. And she hails from a small town. I am the first supernatural she's met."
I wasn't buying any of it, but decided to keep that opinion to myself. "Allow me, then," I said, my anger now replaced with an odd sense of pity. I couldn't imagine having magic, yet not knowing a thing about the supernatural world.
"Sookie," I said with as much patience as I could manage. "Vampires are just the tip of the iceberg. A lot of creatures you know only from myths and fairy tales are actually real. Werewolves and other shifters, elves and fairies, goblins and leprechauns, sprites and nymphs, trolls and demons, and many others all share this world. Oh, and of course, witches." I waved at her. "Hi, nice to meet you."
"You're a real witch?" Sookie asked, astonished. "What kind of magic can you do?"
"Well, I could turn you into a toad to demonstrate my magic, if you like?"
Sookie paled, Godric gave me an admonishing look, and Eric started snickering. Bill had reverted back to his death glare.
"Oh, just kidding," I said, and leaned into Godric and gave him a quick kiss. "Let's get this over with so we can find the traitor."
Godric smiled at me, and I settled against his side as he finished explaining the situation. I felt one more brush across my mind, but I didn't comment on it, though I did give Sookie a pointed look. She offered an apologetic smile in return. It all made more sense now. She'd been born with a form of magic, yet she'd never even known it was magic. She'd thought she was disabled, for goodness' sake. And that made me wonder how on earth this girl had been able to even grow up, with this kind of ability and obviously such poor control of it. How had she not gone nuts?
After Godric was done filling our guests in, we came up with a simple plan. We'd go to the nest, Godric would interview the humans, and Sookie would sit to the side while listening to their thoughts and taking notes until we found the traitor.
We sought out our cars, Sookie and Bill filing into their rental Ford, and Eric opting to ride with Godric and me. I settled into the backseat, and the moment Godric pulled out of the driveway, Eric started talking Godric's head off in a language I couldn't understand. Godric must have sensed my slight annoyance, because he made eye contact with me in the rear view mirror and grinned, but he still didn't revert back to English, so I stuck my tongue out at him.
At some point it sounded like they were having an argument, but then again, I didn't know what constituted a normal conversation between them. And since I couldn't understand them, they might as well have been discussing the weather, for all I knew.
When we arrived at the nest fifteen minutes later, we found the house packed. I stayed close to Godric as we walked inside the living room. Isabel approached us at once.
"Sheriff," she said with a nod. "All are here but two."
"Who are missing?" Godric asked.
"Allison and..." Isabel swallowed, "Hugo."
Huh. I couldn't see either one of them as the traitor. Allison, even though it hadn't been her choice, had adjusted reasonably well to life as a vampire, and I knew she shared a close and happy bond with her maker, Gerald. And Hugo was smitten with Isabel. Both his behaviour and aura confirmed that.
Godric and I shared a glance, and I shrugged. Gerald joined us and nodded at Godric.
"I called Allison earlier, and she said she'd be here," Gerald said. "She can be a little forgetful at times, though."
"And I informed Hugo of this meeting, and he assured me he'd be here," Isabel said, not meeting Godric's eyes.
"We will allow them a bit more time," Godric said. "But they will be punished for their tardiness."
Both Isabel and Gerald nodded, and Godric went about giving instructions to set up a table and lead in humans one by one for the interviews. Godric didn't explain why we were having the interviews, nor why Sookie was there, and no one asked. They knew better than to question their Sheriff.
I made a brief visit to the kitchen to get some drinks for Sookie and myself; a bottle of water for her and a glass of orange juice for myself. I stood to the side as Godric began the interviews, and sipped my juice, listening with interest. He asked simple and direct questions: have you ever been a member of the Fellowship of the Sun, have you ever given them any information about the vampires of this area or their humans, do you have any intent to ever harm a vampire, and so on and so forth. And at the end of each interview, Godric glanced at Sookie, and she shook her head 'no'. And then the next human was brought in to start the process all over again.
After I finished my drink, I took a break and headed towards the bathroom. I didn't tally, though, eager to get back to the interviews, so I barely checked my hair and makeup after washing my hands. I stepped out the door, and ran into a vampire in the hallway right outside the bathroom.
It was Eric.
"Turid," he purred, leaning casually against the wall.
"Hey Eric," I said. "Did you need anything?"
He gave an absent shrug. "I just wanted to talk to you."
"Sure," I said, figuring he wanted to get to know his maker's human a bit better.
Eric leaned closer. "I want to know what spells you've cast on my maker, witch." He spat the last word out as though it left a foul taste in his mouth.
"Huh?"
"Don't play coy," Eric said, his eyes narrowing. "I have known Godric for a very long time, and he has never taken a human before. Never. So you must have done something to him. Did you bewitch his mind?"
I was so taken aback by Eric's accusations, my eyes actually welled up with tears. I refused to let them fall, however, so I stared at Eric without blinking.
"Where did he find you?" Eric asked, leaning closer still.
"Ask Godric," I said, my voice much softer than I wanted it to be.
"I'm asking you."
"And I'm telling you to ask Godric. It's not just my story to tell."
"Or maybe you don't want anyone to know how you lured him in. Have you bespelled his mind into forgetting your first meeting?"
"What?" I asked, beyond confused.
"Godric wouldn't tell me how you've met. I think it's because he cannot tell me."
"You think wrong."
"Oh no, I think I'm right about you, witch. How else would a vampire like Godric ever defer to you, seek your council, trust you?"
"Er...because he gave me his blood and he can feel my every emotion?"
Eric growled. "Is this what it's about? You are after his blood?"
"Oh for..." I was getting sick and tired of his attitude, so I squared my shoulders and got in his face. "Now you listen to me, Eric. How long has it been since you actually saw Godric? Decades? Guess what? People change."
"Not vampires," Eric snarled.
"Yes, vampires," I snarled back. "And if you'd bothered to stay in touch with your maker, you'd actually know that. How much do you know about what's been going on in Godric's life during the last decade. Or the last year. Or even the last few weeks. I have not cast any spells on him. I've only warded his properties, at his request."
"Then tell me how you've met," Eric stubbornly demanded.
"I can't." I nodded towards the living room, where more than a few vampires could probably hear our conversation. Eric seemed to catch on.
"Very well. Then we will talk elsewhere." And with that he grabbed my arm and dragged me away from the crowd. There was no way I could refuse him; he was far too strong. But I knew that if I got into serious trouble, Godric would come running, so I went willingly, more or less. He didn't stop dragging me until we were out the backdoor and reached the very end of the private back yard. A wooden bench stood against a tall hedge, and Eric pushed me onto it before seating himself beside me.
"Now tell me."
I sighed. "Very well. Godric and I had a similar...problem. We met, by chance, and discovered we had this similar problem. So we talked, and we bonded, and that was that."
Eric was staring at me as if he was seeing water burn. "What possible problem would see a vampire like Godric ever consult with a witch?"
"A personal problem," I offered, hoping against hope he'd just drop the subject. No such luck.
"What. Problem." His fangs snapped to attention, and that did it.
"You know what, Eric? You want to know the story? I will tell you, but don't you dare get pissy about it afterwards. How did Godric and I meet? It's simple. Godric wanted to meet the sun, and I wanted to toss myself off the highest building. Turns out, we both picked the same building. Instead of seeking our final death, we talked. And then the next night when he came over to my house, we talked some more, and then we fucked. And that's pretty much what we've been doing ever since. Talking and fucking."
Eric blinked. Once, twice, and then he snarled, grabbed the front of my dress and yanked. "You lie, witch!"
"No, she does not," Godric said, stepping out of the shadows to our right. "Now release my human, child."
"Master," Eric mumbled, letting go of me at once.
Godric walked up to us as if he didn't have a care in the world, and sat down between us. I immediately curled myself against him, wrapping my arms around his neck and burying my face against his shoulder. I started trembling, and I couldn't stop it, no matter how I tried. I'd so much wanted to like Eric. I knew how important he was to Godric. But now I couldn't even understand how Godric could ever have turned such a...a...complete jerk.
"You were wrong to accost my human like that, Eric."
"Forgive me," Eric said, though he didn't sound all that repentant.
"This is neither the time nor the place to discuss my relationship with Turid. I told you this in the car."
Ah. So they had been arguing. And about me, no less. I lifted my head a bit so I could look at the two vampires.
"Turid," Godric said, rubbing my back with soothing strokes. "You must understand that one of a vampire child's strongest instincts is that to protect their maker."
"Sure," I said, unconvinced.
"You know how unconventional a relationship between a vampire and a witch is," Godric continued, holding me a little closer. "Eric was concerned for my safety, though he went about it the wrong way."
"You don't say." I glanced at Eric, and was surprised to see he seemed to be taking in every detail of Godric and me, as though he'd never seen two people hug before.
"Master," Eric said, after we'd all sat in silence for a while. "The witch said - "
"The witch has a name," Godric snapped.
Eric grumbled for a moment, and then squared his shoulders. "Turid said you were seeking to meet the sun."
"Yes," Godric said simply, and offered no further explanation, which seemed to frustrate Eric to no end. He even became a bit restless, which was highly uncharacteristic for a vampire of his age.
"But Godric," Eric said with a slight pinch to his voice. "Why would - "
"And now I don't," Godric said, with a significant look at Eric. "I had become wary of my existence. Then I met Turid, and she brings me such joy that I have found a renewed interest in my life."
Eric seemed to consider that with great care. He leaned back in his seat, his body going still as his gaze fixed on the stars above us.
"What would it take for you to trust Turid is not harming me?" Godric asked, and I raised my head to take in Eric's reaction. I very much wanted to know the answer to that question.
Eric looked at Godric and narrowed his eyes. "I am not sure. It was you who taught me never to trust a witch."
That was news to me, and I looked at Godric with wide eyes. But Godric merely shrugged, though his lips did twitch as though he was suppressing a smile.
"As it turns out," Godric said, and now he did not hold his smile back. "I was wrong."
"I'm not harming Godric," I said, a little desperately. I wanted so very much for Eric to believe that. "I ..." But I couldn't say that I loved him. I'd never said those words before, and now was not a good time to spring that on Godric. "He is the most important person in my life. He is my life. Without him, I'd be dead right now."
His gaze fixed on mine, Eric studied me, his brow drawing closer in a frown. "Is she speaking the truth?" he asked, glancing briefly at Godric.
"Yes. She has had my blood. I would know it if she lied," Godric said with certainty.
Again, Eric studied us, his eyes roaming over every inch of us as Godric held me tightly in his embrace. "She could have bewitched you into believing she speaks the truth."
"Oh, for fuck's sake," I said, trying to pull away from Godric, but he wouldn't let go of me.
"She reeks of power," Eric said urgently, as though willing Godric to believe him. "Such power I have never smelled before. How can you be sure -"
"Would it put your worries at ease if you could feel her?" Godric asked, staring straight into Eric's eyes.
"You mean - "
"Yes, if you exchanged blood with her, and you could sense her emotions, would you be willing to consider that my relationship with Turid is genuine?"
"Whoa," I said, feeling a slight panic grip my chest. I wriggled desperately against Godric. I so did not want to exchange blood with another vampire, not even Godric's child.
"Turid," Godric said, with all the patience in the world. He cupped my chin so I had to look up into his eyes. "Would you rather Eric looked at us with suspicion for the rest of our days, or that he accepted you and your relationship with me?"
Well. If he put it like that. I sagged against Godric, suddenly exhausted.
"You are both important to me," Godric said, looking between Eric and me. "And I will not have you regard each other with suspicion. Please consider this, Turid."
I buried my face against Godric's neck. I shouldn't have been surprised by Godric's suggestion. They were vampires after all, and when it came to vampires, it was all about blood. I sighed. "Okay," I whispered. "But only with Eric. I do not want to exchange blood with anyone else, ever."
"Eric?" Godric asked.
"A blood exchange would be acceptable," Eric said, though he did not sound at all happy about the idea.
"Good. Then that's settled. Now, let us wrap things up in the nest so we can go back to the safe house and make the exchange." And with that, Godric pulled me up from the bench. My knees were so weak, I had to hold onto him as we walked back to the house, Eric right beside us. The idea of exchanging blood with Eric was a frightening one. That, and strangely exhilarating.
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A/N Thanks for reading, everyone! You all are going to have to wait until tomorrow for the blood exchange and other intrigues. Just know that this story is far from over. And reviews always make me write faster. I've got to get ready to watch Holland in the football finals now! Go Holland!